History of Retina Exhibit

History of Retina Exhibit Takes Visitors on Journey Through the Specialty's Formation

Hundreds of ASRS Annual Meeting attendees took a walk through retina history at the History of Retina Exhibit, a first-of-its-kind experience tracing the historical evolution of the specialty through displays of historic artifacts, stories of the development of pivotal instruments and procedures, life-sized images of many retina leaders and legends coupled with details about their critical contributions to the field.

The exhibit featured a snapshot of the rich and varied content housed on the History of Retina website, including memorable quotes from one-on-one video interviews with legends in the field, excerpts from first-hand accounts of the specialty's development from notable retina specialists, dynamic passages from milestone essays that trace the evolution of the tools and technologies that have transformed retina, selections from heartfelt tributes to retina giants who have passed and full-color photos of vintage instruments and artifacts that laid the groundwork for today's specialized retina technology.

Video kiosks featured excerpts from revealing one-on-one interviews with key retina pioneers, as well as several all-star panel discussions and interviews recounting major developments and seminal moments in retina surgery, including the advent of scleral buckling and vitrectomy.

Visitors to the booth were wowed by the immersive experience, many stopping to take photos and tell stories of the ways the influential retina specialists featured had impacted their careers and shaped their journey in the field. Attendees shared a myriad of compliments about the experience calling it "amazing" and "fantastic," and saying, “I've never seen anything like it at any other meeting." and "It really reminds you that we are standing on the shoulders of giants."

Become a Part of History 

The History of Retina is a living initiative that will continue to grow through participation and contributions from the retina community and beyond. If you would like to donate an historic retina image or artifact to the History of Retina collection, please first send a description to the Artifacts Review Committee at retina.history@asrs.org. 

To make a tax-deductible monetary donation to the History of Retina visit asrs.org/foundation/donate-now.

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